20/20 MDS System Competencies Definitions

Management Competencies

	Managing and prioritising time
	Managing and Prioritizing Time refers to an individual’s ability to manage time: To negotiate priorities, exercise self-discipline; control interruptions by shaping the behaviour of others whose priorities are different and become time-effective rather than time-efficient. << BACK

Giving clear information

Giving clear information refers to an individual’s ability to assess a situation, determine the objectives and give clear, concise, well-organized and convincing messages that will best meet the objective. This competency examines an individual’s ability to overcome physical, psychological and semantic barriers in interaction with others; keep on target and avoid digressions; use persuasion effectively and maintain a climate of mutual benefit and trust. << BACK

Planning and scheduling work

Planning and scheduling work refers to an individual’s ability to manage projects (one-time programs) and processes (ongoing workflow) by applying the major tools and techniques of management. . This competency looks at an individual’s ability to analyze complex tasks and break them into manageable units; select and manage resources appropriate to the tasks; use systems and techniques to plan and schedule work and set checkpoints and controls for monitoring progress. << BACK

Identifying and solving problems

Identifying and solving problems refers to an individual’s ability to identify barriers that interfere with the achievement of goals and apply a systematic set of procedures to eliminate or reduce the causes (root problems). This competency examines an individual’s ability to distinguish between symptoms and problems; collect and weighing evidence relating to causes and implement the most appropriate course(s) of action. << BACK

Listening and organizing

Listening and organizing refers to an individual’s ability to understand, organize and analyze what is heard in order to make appropriate decisions about what to think in response to the message. This competency examines an individual’s ability to identify and test inferences and assumptions; overcome barriers to effective listening; summarize and reorganize a message for recall and withhold judgment that can bias a response message. << BACK

Getting unbiased information

Getting unbiased information refers to an individual’s ability to use questions, probes and interviewing techniques to obtain unbiased information and then interpret it appropriately. This competency examines an individual’s ability to use directive, non-directive and reflective questions effectively; use probes to elicit additional information; recognize latent and manifest meaning; confirm understand and obtain agreement. B<< BACK

Setting goals and standards

Setting goals and standards refers to an individual’s ability to manage activities and projects using measurable goals and standards, working with others to help them to develop understanding and build commitment. This competency looks at an individual’s ability to evaluate and prioritize goals, intentions and action standards; eliminate barriers to the goal setting process; evaluate goals against criteria and standards and use goals to motivate << BACK

Counselling and disciplining

Counselling and disciplining refers to an individual’s ability to apply counselling and discipline in a positive manner in order to restore the employee’s performance to an accepted standard or norm without any loss of face (respect, trust). This competency examines an individual’s ability to get an employee to accept responsibility for correcting the deviation within an agreed upon time frame, and reinforce the employee’s behaviour when it results in improved performance (or taking the appropriate action if no improvement occurs). << BACK

Thinking clearly and analytically

Thinking clearly and analytically refers to an individual’s ability to apply logic and think analytically in order to effectively interpret situations and information before deciding what actions to take. This competency examines an individual’s ability to identify valid premises and drawing logical conclusions from them; separate fact from inference and assumption; use inductive and deductive logic effectively and recognize fallacies, false premises and generalizations that are based on insufficient evidence. << BACK

	Training, coaching and delegating
	Training, coaching and delegating refers to an individual’s ability to develop people. This competency therefore covers the ability to select the right people; reach agreement on plans for action; keep a balance between input and output; transfer responsibility to the employee; provide feedback effectively and appropriately reward good performance. << BACK

	Appraising people and performance
	Appraising people and performance refers to an individual’s ability to carry out a constructive performance appraisal by providing on-going feedback, jointly evaluating past performance, coming to agreement on future expectations, and development of a plan to see that these expectations are met. << BACK

	Making decisions and weighing risk
	Making decisions and weighing risk refers to an individual’s ability to systematically examine options: to identify limits, outcomes and risks to be considered; assign weights to each possible alternative and select the best option for meeting the desired goals and standards. << BACK

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

	Emotional Intelligence
	Emotional intelligence looks at our capacity to recognize, understand and harness our own feelings and the feelings of others. This competency category asks the question “How intelligently aware and controlling is the person of their own emotional reactions and of those around them?” << BACK

	Directional Clarity
	Directional clarity looks at the ability to identify a credible destination and indicate how to get there in a straightforward and simple way. This competency category asks the question " How clearly, credibly and unequivocally do you point the way for people to want to travel with you and to stay on track?" << BACK

	Driving persistence
	Driving persistence looks at the extent to which an individual tenaciously stays on track and maintains a persistent focus on their goals. This competency category asks the question “How relentlessly do I pursue my targets even in the face of challenge and/or adversity?” << BACK

	Reciprocal Communication skills
	Reciprocal Communication skills looks at the extent to which an individual communicates with economy and clarity, and remains open to feedback to improve their communication skills in the future. This competency asks the question: “How well do you design and send verbal messages and attentively listen to people's responses in order to adjust your communications?” << BACK

Creative Assimilation skills

Creative Assimilation skills looks at how well an individual creatively thinks in lateral ways and draws together varied information to arrive at new solutions or courses of action. This competency asks the question: “How challenging and/or innovative is an individual's approach in processing different or conflicting data to make sense of it and propose new and potentially better ways of doing things?” << BACK

	People enablement
	People enablement looks at the extent to which an individual trusts, coaches and guides people to influence and control of their own destiny, through their own efforts. This competency category asks the question “How well do you empower individuals and teams to feel that the consequences of their actions are their own?” << BACK

	Change Orchestration skills
	Change Orchestration skills involve how well an individual anticipates and plans for possible future changes, as well as how well he or she copes with change themselves, and helps others adjust. This competency category asks the question: “How effectively do you manage change that affects many people to actively steer the process to positive and beneficial ends?” << BACK

	Contextual thinking
	Contextual thinking looks at how well the individual links specific events, tasks and actions in a wider perspective or pattern. This competency category asks the question “How effectively do you connect related and unrelated information to make sense of what we experience?” << BACK